Chapter 191 – The Watchman
The inside of the house, made by digging the inside of a tree, was a mysterious structure just like the outside.
First of all, the ceiling was very high, and most of the furniture was much bigger than what humans use, probably because it was a dwelling place for large beasts.
Upon entering the house, we were directed straight to the kitchen.
“Sit down in a comfortable seat.”
“Ah yes.”
Feeling like I was Alice in Wonderland, I looked around and sat down in front of a large table at Walter’s invitation.
Unlike the long table seen in the castle of the devil, it is an ordinary round table used in a home.
Contrary to the image that he seemed to only eat meat because he was a beast of a lion, there were also plenty of vegetables on the table.
“I didn’t know what the representative of the delegation would like, so I prepared the food that we usually eat. Even if it’s simple, please understand.”
“This is a delicacy. I’ll eat well.”
When I said that and raised my fork and knife, Walter smiled happily and crossed his arms.
“Try some of this, too.”
Saying so, it was the lioness who seemed to be Walter’s wife who served the large beefsteak on a plate.
Unlike Walter, who was half-man and half-beast, he looked like a human with lion ears on his head, and he was quite beautiful.
“Ah, thank you. You must be Mr. Walter’s host, right?”
“Yes that’s right.”
She nodded her head and smiled kindly, and served what appeared to be homemade food to the rest of her party’s plates.
“Wow! It looks delicious!”
Dinner started in a friendly atmosphere with Dorothea’s candid exclamation.
The two elves, who were also guests for us, and Master were eating without much complaint.
In fact, it would be harder to find people who don’t like meat.
“Your wife is good at cooking.”
I emptied the plate in an instant, and when I said that, Walter, who had been drinking beer with her mouth, laughed with white foam covering her mouth.
“As you said, my wife is the best cook in our village. I fell in love with her cooking skills and got married.”
“This is true too.”
Walter’s wife embarrassingly patted him on the shoulder, but she didn’t seem too upset.
‘The relationship between the couple is good.’
While thinking about that, I asked a question about something that came to my mind while chewing on a salad.
“Come to think of it, you said you would send someone to guide you through the great forest. Who is that?”
Then Walter opened his eyes wide as if he had completely forgotten.
“I made that promise to the Demon King. I was so glad I forgot about it. Oh, don’t look too worried. The one who gives directions this time is my cousin’s nephew.”
“Walter’s cousin?”
“Normally, he plays the role of a watchman in the forest. I’ll be back soon after scouting, so I’ll introduce you then.”
Saying that, it was time for Walter to move his chunk of meat onto his plate.
Bang!!
“Uncle!”
At the sudden sound of the door opening, Walter, whose ears twitched, let out a tired sigh and said:
“I heard that even a tiger will come when I say it.”
I turned my head towards the source of the noise.
Standing there was a young beast woman with orange hair, black hair tucked in places, and a tail wagging behind her pants.
“It’s a real tiger.”
I didn’t expect this.
***
The tiger beastman who suddenly appeared said his name was ‘Heild’.
She seems to be the daughter of her cousin to Walter.
Well, since lions and tigers are the same feline family, it doesn’t make sense, but…
“Are you Patrasche, famous for being nicknamed the hound of the demon lord?”
This person was very interested in me.
“Yes. In the public, it is called by that nickname.”
“Contrary to what I’ve heard, it doesn’t look very strong.”
Hild said that while sniffing at her, and then touched my body.
“…What are you doing?”
“I was wondering how much muscle you have.”
I looked at Walter next to her, not knowing what to do with this woman who looked like a battle freak.
And Walter must have noticed the meaning of my gaze.
“Heild, leave at this point. He’s in trouble.”
“Tch, I get it.”
In the end, as if she hadn’t achieved her original purpose, Hild stepped back from her while kicking her tongue, and with her feet next to her feet, she looked at me terribly.
Not knowing why, I asked Camilla, who was next to me.
“Can you explain why he is doing this?”
Then Camilla whispered in my ear.
“Hild-sama is a childhood friend of Ozma-sama and Gabriel-sama. The three of them have been playing together since childhood. Maybe those two are interested because they were involved with Patrasche-sama.”
‘What kind of elementary school student are you?’
Friends don’t like being close to anyone other than themselves.
Anyway, after that bizarre confrontation, Walter cleared her throat and introduced her once again.
“This is my cousin, Hild. As you can see, her tribe is a tiger beast, and she also works as a watchman protecting the village, so she can come and go in and out of the Great Forest like her own home. There is no talented person more qualified to guide the delegation. “
“Yes…”
To be honest, this was enough to put a necklace on me.
If you work as a watchman among beastmen who are famous for their strength, you will have the fighting ability to keep yourself healthy, and if you are good at guiding them, it’s really the icing on the cake.
If it wasn’t for having a strange hostility towards me, it could be said that it was really suitable.
However, perhaps because my response was lukewarm, Walter, who had been diligently explaining, hesitated and asked:
“Do you hate this child?”
“No! It can’t be! It’s perfectly fine!”
I couldn’t ask for a change because I hated your nephew, so I hastily denied the allegations.
“Then, this is the decision. Heald will guide the delegation.”
“Yes…”
A guide that was determined like jumping over a wall.
It’s only been a few days, but I’m already sighing at the fact that I’ll have to eat rice with a hot-looking woman over there.
‘Oh, my son.’
***
After dinner at Walter’s house, we moved on to the guest quarters.
Fortunately, there are warriors from the tribe who went hunting deep into the forest, so it seems that there were quite a few empty houses in the village that could be used right away.
After assigning lodgings to the escorts who followed the delegation, we spent the night in a house dug out of a dead tree, just like Walter’s house.
“Do I use the second floor?”
“Do it yourself.”
After glancing at Dorothea climbing the ladder, I asked as I undid the drug-filled belt.
“So, where will you sleep, Master?”
“You’re asking something obvious. Sleeping on the floor at this age makes my bones sore.”
While saying that, Master naturally lay down in the only hammock.
I was shocked by his appearance, but as a reincarnated person from Korea who treats elders preferentially, I couldn’t dare to argue.
Naturally, the rest of the staff slept on a blanket on the floor, but looking at it now, all of them except for me are maids.
The two elves who got along well with each other decided to share a different house.
“Then, shall we prepare well soon?”
I snapped my fingers and took out the sleeping bag from the subspace.
In fact, I brought several from home to see if this would happen.
After distributing sleeping bags, one for each person, I circulated the air in the room.
This way, when you sleep, a cool breeze blows, so you can sleep comfortably.
“Then… I think bathing here will be difficult.”
Generally, beastmen do not bathe very often.
So, there was no separate bathroom in the house, which was a point deduction for me, who likes a clean life.
In this situation, the only solution is to entrust it to the water mage, Sophia.
“Sophia.”
When I called her name, she nodded and pulled out her wand from her garter belt.
“Animato”
Then, a spray that looked like slime appeared in the air and swallowed me from head to toe.
Bugrrrr!
As I stare at her eyes wide open, Sophia can catch her breath, she says.
“Oh, it’s true.”
Perhaps because her magic has reached its peak, she can speak normally despite being underwater.
The water flow that swallowed my body went back and forth like a washing machine, absorbing all the dust that had accumulated on me as I marched all day, and it fell off my body.
The only downside of this life magic is that the whole body gets wet.
I dried my wet body by generating warm air on my own, and went into the sleeping bag with a softer body.
Because of the magic I used earlier, a cool wind blows from all directions, and my whole body feels listless, perhaps because I just washed.
When Camilla extinguished the candle, which was her only light, the inside of the house turned pitch-black in an instant.
Compared to usual, it was quite an early time to go to bed, but considering that I had to leave town early tomorrow morning, I had to close my eyes for a bit.
I spoke to the presence I felt around me.
“Sleep well.”
Camilla responded in her low voice.
“Have a nice dream.”
Speaking of what the succubus said, it felt like my confidence was rising.
Just as my heavy eyelids were about to close, I heard a greeting saying, “Good night.”
I don’t know who said it, but it must have been a very sweet voice.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been impressed while I was sleeping.
